U.S. patent application number 12/465107 was filed with the patent office on 2010-04-08 for mobile wireless communications device and system providing dynamic management of carrier applications and related methods.
This patent application is currently assigned to Research In Motion Limited. Invention is credited to Michael W. Brown, Orlin Vesselinov Stoev.
Application Number | 20100088367 12/465107 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40887029 |
Filed Date | 2010-04-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100088367 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brown; Michael W. ; et
al. |
April 8, 2010 |
MOBILE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE AND SYSTEM PROVIDING DYNAMIC
MANAGEMENT OF CARRIER APPLICATIONS AND RELATED METHODS
Abstract
A mobile wireless communications system may include a mobile
wireless communications device(s) configured to wirelessly
communicate via a carrier network, and a application storage
server(s) configured to store a plurality of mobile device
applications for use by the mobile wireless communications
device(s). The system may further include an application catalog
server configured to provide an interface for uploading at least
one mobile device application identification file from the carrier
network identifying approved mobile device applications. The
application catalog server may be further configured to generate a
list of the approved mobile device applications to be presented on
the mobile wireless communications device(s) based upon the at
least one mobile device application identification file, and to
direct the mobile wireless communications device(s) to the at least
one application storage server to download and install a mobile
device application selected from the list of approved mobile device
applications.
Inventors: |
Brown; Michael W.;
(Mississauga, CA) ; Stoev; Orlin Vesselinov;
(Mississauga, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Allen, Dyer, Doppelt, Milbrath & Gilchrist - RIM
255 S. Orange Avenue, Suite 1401
Orlando
FL
32801
US
|
Assignee: |
Research In Motion Limited
Waterloo
CA
|
Family ID: |
40887029 |
Appl. No.: |
12/465107 |
Filed: |
May 13, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61103764 |
Oct 8, 2008 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
709/203 ;
455/414.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 67/04 20130101;
H04L 67/34 20130101; H04L 67/02 20130101; G06F 8/60 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/203 ;
455/414.1 |
International
Class: |
G06F 15/16 20060101
G06F015/16; H04M 3/42 20060101 H04M003/42 |
Claims
1. A mobile wireless communications system comprising: at least one
mobile wireless communications device configured to wirelessly
communicate via a carrier network; at least one application storage
server configured to store a plurality of mobile device
applications for use by the at least one mobile wireless
communications device; and an application catalog server configured
to provide an interface for uploading at least one mobile device
application identification file from the carrier network
identifying approved mobile device applications, generate a list of
the approved mobile device applications to be presented on said at
least one mobile wireless communications device based upon the at
least one mobile device application identification file, and direct
said at least one mobile wireless communications device to said at
least one application storage server to download and install a
mobile device application selected from the list of approved mobile
device applications.
2. The mobile wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein the
interface is also for permitting modification of the at least one
mobile device application identification file by the carrier
network.
3. The mobile wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein
said at least one mobile wireless communications device comprises a
plurality thereof having respective device types; and wherein said
application catalog server is configured to generate different
lists of approved mobile device applications for respective mobile
wireless communications device types.
4. The mobile wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein
said at least one mobile wireless communications device is
configured to generate an installation report upon installation of
the selected mobile device application; and wherein said
application catalog server is configured to collect the
installation report.
5. The mobile wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein the
at least one application identification file comprises an
extensible markup language (XML) file.
6. The mobile wireless communications system of claim 1 wherein the
list of the approved mobile device applications comprises a Really
Simple Syndication (RSS) formatted list comprising a plurality of
application descriptors.
7. The mobile wireless communications system of claim 6 wherein the
application descriptors comprise at least one of an application
name, version, vendor, description, and size.
8. An application catalog server for use with at least one mobile
wireless communications device configured to wirelessly communicate
via a carrier network and at least one application storage server
configured to store a plurality of mobile device applications for
use by the at least one mobile wireless communications device, the
application catalog server comprising: an interface module
configured to provide an interface for uploading at least one
mobile device application identification file from the carrier
network identifying approved mobile device applications; and a
processing module configured to generate a list of the approved
mobile device applications to be presented on the at least one
mobile wireless communications device based upon the at least one
mobile device application identification file, and direct the at
least one mobile wireless communications device to the at least one
application storage server to download and install a mobile device
application selected from the list of approved mobile device
applications.
9. The application catalog server of claim 8 wherein the interface
is also for permitting modification of the at least one mobile
device application identification file by the carrier network.
10. The application catalog server of claim 8 wherein the at least
one mobile wireless communications device comprises a plurality
thereof having respective device types; and wherein said processing
module is configured to generate different lists of approved mobile
device applications for respective mobile wireless communications
device types.
11. The application catalog server of claim 8 wherein the at least
one mobile wireless communications device is configured to generate
an installation report upon installation of the selected mobile
device application; and wherein said processing module is
configured to collect the installation report.
12. The application catalog server of claim 8 wherein the at least
one application identification file comprises an extensible markup
language (XML) file.
13. A mobile wireless communications method comprising: providing
at least one mobile wireless communications device configured to
wirelessly communicate via a carrier network; storing a plurality
of mobile device applications for use by the at least one mobile
wireless communications device on at least one application storage
server; and at an application catalog server, providing an
interface for uploading at least one mobile device application
identification file from the carrier network identifying approved
mobile device applications, generating a list of the approved
mobile device applications to be presented on the at least one
mobile wireless communications device based upon the at least one
mobile device application identification file, and directing the at
least one mobile wireless communications device to the at least one
application storage server to download and install a mobile device
application selected from the list of approved mobile device
applications.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the interface is also for
permitting modification of the at least one mobile device
application identification file by the carrier network.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one mobile wireless
communications device comprises a plurality thereof having
respective device types; and further comprising generating
different lists of approved mobile device applications for
respective mobile wireless communications device types at the
application catalog server.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one mobile wireless
communications device is configured to generate an installation
report upon installation of the selected mobile device application;
and further comprising collecting the installation report at the
application catalog server.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one application
identification file comprises an extensible markup language (XML)
file.
18. A physical computer-readable medium for use with at least one
mobile wireless communications device configured to wirelessly
communicate via a carrier network and at least one application
storage server configured to store a plurality of mobile device
applications for use by the at least one mobile wireless
communications device, the physical computer-readable medium
comprising: an interface module configured to provide an interface
for uploading at least one mobile device application identification
file from the carrier network identifying approved mobile device
applications; and a processing module configured to generate a list
of the approved mobile device applications to be presented on the
at least one mobile wireless communications device based upon the
at least one mobile device application identification file, and
direct the at least one mobile wireless communications device to
the at least one application storage server to download and install
a mobile device application selected from the list of approved
mobile device applications.
19. The physical computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the
interface is also for permitting modification of the at least one
mobile device application identification file by the carrier
network.
20. The physical computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the
at least one mobile wireless communications device comprises a
plurality thereof having respective device types; and wherein said
processing module is configured to generate different lists of
approved mobile device applications for respective mobile wireless
communications device types.
21. The physical computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein said
at least one mobile wireless communications device is configured to
generate an installation report upon installation of the selected
mobile device application; and wherein said processing module is
configured to collect the installation report.
22. The physical computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the
at least one application identification file comprises an
extensible markup language (XML) file.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based upon prior filed copending
provisional application Ser. No. 61/103,764 filed Oct. 8, 2008, the
entire subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference
in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of
communications systems, and, more particularly, to mobile wireless
communications systems and related methods.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Cellular communications systems continue to grow in
popularity and have become an integral part of both personal and
business communications. Cellular telephones allow users to place
and receive voice calls most anywhere they travel. Moreover, as
cellular telephone technology has increased, so too has the
functionality of cellular devices and the different types of
devices available to users. For example, many cellular devices now
incorporate personal digital assistant (PDA) features such as
calendars, address books, task lists, etc. Moreover, such
multi-function or "smart" devices may also allow users to
wirelessly send and receive electronic mail (email) messages and
access the Internet via a cellular network and/or a wireless local
area network (WLAN), for example.
[0004] Mobile devices such as smart phones are also capable of
running relatively sophisticated applications, such as games,
document processing applications, chat or instant messaging
applications, etc. As a result, it may be desirable to provide
enhanced approaches for accessing and managing applications for
mobile devices, especially as new applications continue to be
developed and become available.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] For a better understanding of the various embodiments
described herein and to show more clearly how they may be carried
into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to
the accompanying drawings which show at least one example
embodiment and in which:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile wireless
communications system in accordance with one embodiment;
[0007] FIGS. 2 and 3 are flow diagrams illustrating mobile wireless
communications method aspects in accordance with various
embodiments;
[0008] FIGS. 4-6 are schematic block diagrams of various exemplary
implementations of the system of FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary
embodiment of a mobile device that may be used with the system of
FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary
embodiment of a communication subsystem component of the mobile
device of FIG. 7;
[0011] FIG. 9 is an exemplary block diagram of a node of a wireless
network; and
[0012] FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram illustrating components
of a host system in one exemplary configuration for use with the
wireless network of FIG. 9 and the mobile device of FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] The present description is made with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown.
However, many different exemplary embodiments may be used, and thus
the description should not be construed as limited to the exemplary
embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments
are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete.
Like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and prime and
double prime notation is used to indicate similar elements or steps
in different embodiments.
[0014] In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in
order to provide a thorough understanding of the example
embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by
those of ordinary skill in the art that the exemplary embodiments
described herein may be practiced without these specific details.
In other instances, well-known methods, procedures and components
have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the
exemplary embodiments described herein. Also, the description is
not to be considered as limiting the scope of the example
embodiments described herein.
[0015] Generally speaking, a mobile wireless communications system
is set forth herein which may include at least one mobile wireless
communications device configured to wirelessly communicate via a
carrier network, and at least one application storage server
configured to store a plurality of mobile device applications for
use by the at least one mobile wireless communications device. The
system may further include an application catalog server configured
to provide an interface for uploading at least one mobile device
application identification file from the carrier network
identifying approved mobile device applications. The application
catalog server may be further configured to generate a list of the
approved mobile device applications to be presented on the at least
one mobile wireless communications device based upon the at least
one mobile device application identification file, and to direct
the at least one mobile wireless communications device to the at
least one application storage server to download and install a
mobile device application selected from the list of approved mobile
device applications.
[0016] The interface may also be for permitting modification of the
at least one mobile device application identification file by the
carrier network. Furthermore, the at least one mobile wireless
communications device may comprise a plurality thereof having
respective device types. As such, the application catalog server
may be configured to generate different lists of approved mobile
device applications for respective mobile wireless communications
device types. In addition, the at least one mobile wireless
communications device may be configured to generate an installation
report upon installation of the selected mobile device application.
Moreover, the application catalog server may be configured to
collect the installation report.
[0017] By way of example, the at least one application
identification file may comprise an extensible markup language
(XML) file. Furthermore, the list of the approved mobile device
applications may comprise a Really Simple Syndication (RSS)
formatted list including a plurality of application descriptors.
Moreover, the application descriptors may include at least one of
an application name, version, vendor, description, and size.
[0018] A related application catalog server may be for use with at
least one mobile wireless communications device configured to
wirelessly communicate via a carrier network, and at least one
application storage server configured to store a plurality of
mobile device applications for use by the at least one mobile
wireless communications device. The application catalog server may
include an interface module configured to provide an interface for
uploading at least one mobile device application identification
file from the carrier network identifying approved mobile device
applications. The application catalog server may further include a
processing module configured to generate a list of the approved
mobile device applications to be presented on the at least one
mobile wireless communications device based upon the at least one
mobile device application identification file, and direct the at
least one mobile wireless communications device to the at least one
application storage server to download and install a mobile device
application selected from the list of approved mobile device
applications.
[0019] A related mobile wireless communications method may include
providing at least one mobile wireless communications device
configured to wirelessly communicate via a carrier network, and
storing a plurality of mobile device applications for use by the at
least one mobile wireless communications device on at least one
application storage server. Furthermore, at an application catalog
server, an interface may be provided for uploading at least one
mobile device application identification file from the carrier
network identifying approved mobile device applications.
Additionally, a list of the approved mobile device applications may
be generated to be presented on the at least one mobile wireless
communications device based upon the at least one mobile device
application identification file, and the at least one mobile
wireless communications device may be directed to the at least one
application storage server to download and install a mobile device
application selected from the list of approved mobile device
applications.
[0020] A physical computer-readable medium is also provided for use
with at least one mobile wireless communications device that is
configured to wirelessly communicate via a carrier network, and at
least one application storage server configured to store a
plurality of mobile device applications for use by the at least one
mobile wireless communications device. The computer-readable medium
may include an interface module configured to provide an interface
for uploading at least one mobile device application identification
file from the carrier network identifying approved mobile device
applications. A processing module may also be configured to
generate a list of the approved mobile device applications to be
presented on the at least one mobile wireless communications device
based upon the at least one mobile device application
identification file, and direct the at least one mobile wireless
communications device to the at least one application storage
server to download and install a mobile device application selected
from the list of approved mobile device applications.
[0021] Mobile wireless communications device application management
systems and methods are described herein for providing enhanced
functionality with respect to software applications for the
devices. The exemplary embodiments described herein may be used
with mobile wireless communication devices, hereafter referred to
as mobile devices, which can be configured according to an IT
policy. It should be noted that the term IT policy, in general,
refers to a collection of IT policy rules, in which the IT policy
rules can be defined as being either grouped or non-grouped and
global or per-user. The terms grouped, non-grouped, global and
per-user are defined further below. Examples of applicable
communication devices include pagers, cellular phones, cellular
smart-phones, wireless organizers, personal digital assistants,
computers, laptops, handheld wireless communication devices,
wirelessly enabled notebook computers and the like.
[0022] The mobile device is a two-way communication device with
advanced data communication capabilities including the capability
to communicate with other mobile devices or computer systems
through a network of transceiver stations. The mobile device may
also have the capability to allow voice communication. Depending on
the functionality provided by the mobile device, it may be referred
to as a data messaging device, a two-way pager, a cellular
telephone with data messaging capabilities, a wireless Internet
appliance, or a data communication device (with or without
telephony capabilities).
[0023] Generally speaking, it may be desirable to allow carriers to
have a central place on a mobile device to market and make
available applications of their choosing, and to be able to
dynamically change this content at any time. This may be seen as a
more robust replacement for carrier virtual pre-loads (VPLs). More
particularly, a VPL is an existing mechanism where a service book
can be pushed to devices that will result in an application
download icon being placed on the device's ribbon (if the
application is not already installed). When the icon is clicked,
the device browser is opened to a download page for the particular
application. Some of the drawbacks to this approach are that it
requires a separate service book for each application, that it may
clutter the device's ribbon when many VPLs are pushed, and that it
may be hard for a user to immediately distinguish a true
application icon from a VPL icon.
[0024] As will be discussed further below, Research in Motion
Limited (RIM) hosts a server in a network operating center (NOC)
which contains lists of applications per carrier/device type/OS
version. These lists are stored as XML files, for example.
[0025] In accordance with one embodiment, carriers may make
requests to add applications to the lists by providing details to
RIM about the application including, for example, name, vendor,
version, text description, icon, marketing image, and links to the
application binaries (which may not necessarily be hosted by RIM).
The application details are entered into an editor utility which
generates the XML files to be hosted. The lists are published to
the RIM hosted server in the NOC using a server publishing utility.
These steps are done by RIM. Service books are pushed to devices,
which specify the base URL location of the RIM hosted server. Part
of the base URL includes the name of the carrier.
[0026] The device appends its device type and OS version to the
base URL when it downloads the XML files from the server so that it
gets the appropriate list. The device presents the list of
applications to the user in a central UI application, from which
the user is able to invoke the installation of selected
applications. The device may check for updates to the list
automatically at a given interval if enabled, or manually as
requested by the user, allowing additions or changes to the list to
be propagated from the server to the device.
[0027] By way of contrast, other typical mobile device application
approaches do not allow for control by carriers, rather they either
make available single vendor applications (e.g., Google.TM. Mobile
Updater), or arbitrary third party applications submitted by
developers themselves (e.g., Handango InHand, iPhone App Store,
etc.).
[0028] Turning more particularly to FIGS. 1-2, a mobile wireless
communications system 30 and associated method aspects are first
described. Beginning at Block 40, one or more mobile wireless
communications devices 31, such as those noted above, are
configured to wirelessly communicate via a carrier network 32
(e.g., a cellular network), at Block 41. One or more application
storage servers 33 are configured to store a plurality of mobile
device applications for use by the mobile wireless communications
device 31, at Block 42. Moreover, an application catalog server 34
is configured to provide an interface or interface module 35 for
uploading one or more mobile device application identification
files from the carrier network 32 identifying approved mobile
device applications, at Block 43. This advantageously allows the
carrier to add new applications that it wants to make available for
the mobile device, as will be discussed further below.
[0029] The application catalog server 34 may further include a
processor or processing module 36 configured to generate a list of
the approved mobile device applications to be presented on the
mobile wireless communications device 31 based upon the application
identification file(s), at Block 44, and to direct the mobile
wireless communications device to the application storage server 33
to download and install a mobile device application selected from
the list of approved mobile device applications, at Block 45, thus
concluding the method illustrated in FIG. 2 (Block 46).
[0030] Referring additionally to FIG. 3, the interface module 35
also advantageously permits modification of the mobile device
application identification file by the carrier network 32 (Block
43'). Thus, the carrier may advantageously readily publish updated
versions of applications, remove old or unsupported applications
from the list of approved applications, etc., simply by updating
the appropriate application identification file or files. In a
cellular network application, it will be appreciated that numerous
types of cellular devices from different manufacturers are
typically used with a given network. Thus, it is particularly
helpful for a carrier to have the ability to readily update
application offerings and information as new types of devices are
added to the network.
[0031] The processing module 36 of the application catalog server
34 may thus advantageously be configured to generate different
lists of approved mobile device applications for respective mobile
wireless communications device types 31 (Block 44'). For example,
different software applications may be designed for different
mobile device operating platforms, and thus not be compatible with
all device types, or certain applications may have minimum
processing processing/memory requirements that are not available on
some mobile device types.
[0032] In some embodiments, the mobile devices 31 may be configured
to generate an installation report upon installation of the
selected mobile device application, and the processing module 36
may advantageously be configured to collect the installation
report, at Block 47'. As such, the application catalog server 34
provides a convenient centralized location for collecting usage
information for the various applications installed across multiple
device types, and even across multiple carriers in embodiments
where the application catalog server supports multiple networks, as
will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
[0033] It should be noted that the application catalog server 34
may collect other application lifecycle reporting information as
well, in addition to (or in lieu of) installation events. By way of
example, the mobile device 31 may also optionally report on one or
more application lifecycle events including upgrades, downgrades,
and deletions. Other application lifecycle events may include
network, memory, or other usage statistics, for example.
[0034] In accordance with one example, the at least one application
identification file may comprise an extensible markup language
(XML) file (Block 43'), although other suitable file types may also
be used. Furthermore, the list of the approved mobile device
applications may comprise a Really Simple Syndication (RSS)
formatted list including a plurality of application descriptors
(Block 44'), though here again other suitable formats may also be
used, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Moreover,
the application descriptors may include at least one of an
application name, version, vendor, description, and size, as will
be described further below.
[0035] It should be noted that the various components/functions of
the application storage server and application catalog server 34
may be implemented using a combination of hardware and software
components, and that they may also be implemented using a single
server device in some embodiments, or in other embodiments these
operations may be distributed across multiple computing devices, as
will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. For example, in
some embodiments there may be multiple application storage servers
that host respective applications from different software
developers or vendors, or different carriers. Moreover, in some
embodiments the application catalog server may be implemented using
a combination of computing devices in a network operating center
(NOC), as will be discussed further in the following examples.
[0036] The foregoing will be further understood with reference to
exemplary implementations thereof now described with reference to
the BlackBerry.RTM. mobile wireless communications infrastructure.
More particularly, a given BlackBerry.RTM. device may include
application center software module 55 for performing the
above-noted mobile device operations, including retrieving updated
lists of available applications. In the exemplary implementation,
the application catalog server is implemented using one or more
application directory servers hosted in the NOC. However, the
techniques described herein may be used with other mobile devices
and systems, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the
art.
[0037] The application center 55 is configured on the mobile device
31 via a service book over an available communication channel,
e.g., a BlackBerry.RTM. Enterprise Server (BES) or the
BlackBerry.RTM. Internet Service (BIS). Carriers or third party
providers may advantageously host the applications, and the
carriers may send updates to the application directory server
through existing established channels used by VPL. When the
BlackBerry.RTM. device user accepts the terms and conditions of
use, the device will acquire a list of available applications from
the application directory server(s).
[0038] The retrieved list is an RSS-formatted list of application
descriptors containing, for example: application name; version;
vendor; brief description; size; an optional browser link (uniform
resource locator, URL) pointing to detailed application
information; a URL pointing to the application binaries hosted by
the carrier; a URL pointing to an image location that will provide
additional marketing and/or pricing information about the
application; and a second URL for a smaller image for the
application icon.
[0039] The main application screen displayed on the device by the
application center 55 may advantageously provide the user with a
list of applications available for installation provided by the
particular carrier for the specific device model and handheld
software version. Incompatible applications need not be displayed,
and there may be separate lists hosted on the application
development server per device model and handheld software version.
The main screen will provide the user with the ability to browse
the application list, and view the available information about each
application in a detailed application screen. The detailed
application screen displays a marketing image and opens a browser
link, if available, that displays a detailed information page for
that application. The application center 55 monitors for installed
applications, and detects when an application that is in the list
is installed on the device. It reports such events to the
application directory server for logging purposes. Installation of
other applications not available in the list are not reported,
although they may be in some embodiments.
[0040] A description of exemplary application directory content is
now provided. The application directory includes a set of static
application listings. Application listings may be accessed by the
application center 55 on BlackBerry.RTM. devices based on
information such as carrier, device model, operating system (OS)
version, etc. Application listings may be grouped for carriers. The
application listings may be prepared and published by the
application directory administrator based on approved requests from
carriers. An Application Listing is a list of application
information for particular query criteria, such as carrier, device
model, OS version, locale, etc. An application listing will be
presented to the application center in a standardized format, such
as an XML format (ATOM 1.0) upon request. An exemplary application
listing is set forth at the end of the detailed description. The
application information in the application listing may include the
following properties, for example: application name; vendor; size;
version; application description; URL to application bundle for
installation; URL to additional information (price, etc.); URL to
static application image (may be a relative path); URL to
application icon image (may be a relative path); optional
application categories; optional language; wireless access protocol
(WAP) download; mandatory status (i.e., whether an application is
mandatory, in which case an auto-load will be required by the
device); and a value add application. However, not all of the above
need be used in all implementations, and other information may also
be included in some embodiments.
[0041] The application center 55 accesses the application directory
for application listings for a specific carrier, device mode, OS
version, and other information. The application directory returns
the application listing for specific query criteria. The
application center 55 may present the application listing to the
user via the device 56 for application installation selection. The
application center 55 will download the application for
installation from the carrier or third party provider sites/servers
upon selection or request by the user.
[0042] The application directory may advantageously host the most
current application listings in pre-prepared XML files under
certain directory structures. The application directory may
optionally maintain the history of content changes. Manual
maintenance to the directory content may be performed, particularly
before new content is published.
[0043] The application directory may be hosted and maintained by an
administrator. Moreover, application listings may be published to
the application directory by the administrator. By way of example,
carriers may provide a document for approval through preset
channels. Upon approval, the document will be provided to the
administrator to create, delete, and/or update application
listings. Application directory administrators may prepare or
update application listings upon carriers' requests, or this may be
done directly by the carriers through a Web interface, for example.
The administrator may edit the listings manually, or may use a
utility to generate them. The new set of application listings is
then published to the application directory.
[0044] The application directory may host application listings in
static as well as dynamic files. An exemplary application directory
structure may be provided as follows under an application directory
root in a Web Server:
TABLE-US-00001 /ac (Application Directory root) /<Carrier
Name> (Carrier root) /<Country code> (Optional)
/<listing category, such as data plan> /<Device Model>
/<OS Version> /directory.xml (static Application Listing
file) /images/ (image root for the Application Listing) /icons/
(icon root for the Application Listing)
[0045] An offline application directory management utility may be
provided to help the application directory administrator prepare
content according to the application directory structure. The
utility may support such functions as: carrier additions; opening
application listings for a carrier; creating a new listing for a
device model; adding an application to an application listing;
removing an application from the application listing; updating an
application in the application listing; preparing publishing files,
etc. The application directory administrator may advantageously be
able to change the application listings content in the application
directory using a programmatic, testable method (as opposed to a
manual approach). A Web based application directory publishing
utility may be provided to support online publishing of directory
content. Through the publishing UI, the administrator may be able
to upload the new, carrier specific application directory package
from the file system and publish it into the directory server.
Again, this may be done directly by the carrier as well.
[0046] Exemplary application directory deployable components of a
system 50 in accordance with a first embodiments are shown in FIG.
4. Static application center ("App Center") content (application
listings for carriers) is deployed in an Apache HTTP server 51 at
an NOC 52. The server 51 may be publicly accessible through
HTTP/HTTPS protocols as shown. An application state report module
53 is a Web application deployed in an Apache Tomcat server 54. The
module 53 accepts or collects application installation reports from
the AppCenter 55 on mobile devices 56 through the HTTP protocol via
the Internet 57 and a firewall 58, for example. Reporting requests
are forwarded from the Apache HTTP Server 51. The application state
report module 54 logs reports into daily and size rolling text
based log files, for example. The root directory and base name of
report files are advantageously configurable.
[0047] An application directory publish module 59 is a Web
application deployed in the Apache Tomcat server 54. It provides
the capability for the application directory administrator to
publish the new static AppCenter content deployed in the Apache
HTTP Server 51 via an administrator station 61. The administrator
may access the application directory publish module 59 from a Web
browser via the HTTP protocol, for example. The application
directory publish module 59 may be granted write permission to the
doc root of static AppCenter content. The application directory
publish module 59 may generate a size rolling log file under a
configurable location.
[0048] Another deployment configuration is shown in FIG. 5. In this
deployment, an Apache HTTP server 51a' and an Apache Tomcat server
54a' are installed on a Linux machine 62a' behind a firewall 58'.
The Apache HTTP server 51a' is listening to ports 80 and 443 and
servers for AppCenter 55' accessing. The Apache Tomcat server 54a'
is listening on port 8009 for Apache/Tomcat integration and is
accessible via an intranet. The static AppCenter content may be
deployed on the same Linux machine with the Apache HTTP server 51a'
and Apache Tomcat server 54a' in some embodiments.
[0049] However, while a single Linux machine 62a' may be used, in
the illustrated example an Apache HTTP server and cluster file
system including additional Linux machines 62b', etc., is
advantageously used to accommodate high load and provide
scalability. In this deployment, a homogeneous Apache HTTP Server
cluster is configured using a BigIP load balancer 63'. A doc root
of a shared file system 64' including static AppCenter content may
be used to point to a desired location in the cluster file system.
No specific routing algorithm is required to route HTTP requests
from the BigIP load balancer 63' to a given Apache HTTP server node
51' in the cluster. However, a round robin configuration may be
used, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
[0050] Deployment of the Apache Tomcat server 54' on the same Linux
machine 62' as a corresponding Apache HTTP server 51' may be
helpful in that each Apache HTTP server is forwarding application
state report requests to the Apache Tomcat locally. Application
publish Web application information may be passed the doc root in
the cluster file system to publish new content only once, and may
be accessed through a designated node.
[0051] Referring now additionally to FIG. 6, in the event that
enhanced scalability is desired, both homogeneous Apache HTTP
server clusters and Apache Tomcat server clusters may be configured
using a plurality of BigIP load balancers 63a', 63b', etc. The
Apache HTTP servers 51'' in the cluster may be configured to
forward application state report requests to the cluster of Apache
Tomcat servers 54''. Application publish Web application
information may be passed to the doc root in the cluster file
system to publish new content only once, and may be accessed
through a designated node.
[0052] Another deployment consideration may include monitoring. The
application directory server is deployed in the NOC 52, as noted
above. Running status of the Apache HTTP server and Apache Tomcat
server processes may be monitored. The monitoring service may be
provided in the application directory publish module and
application state report for monitoring purposes. An exemplary
message log format is as follows: [0053] [DateTime] [hostname] [
]:[Log Level],, [Thread-ID],, [Classname], [Event Description] For
example: [0054] 2008-06-06T13:50:25.798 BCHEN-LT[
]:DEBUG,,Thread-0,,PingServlet,Application Started.
[0055] Another deployment consideration is logging. Application
status report log reporting from the AppCenter 55 is performed
using daily and size rolling text files. The logging root directory
and base filenames are configurable. The logs may be archived
periodically. The application directory publish module 59 may log
publishing activities. The log file name and location are
configurable. The log file may also be archived periodically for
debugging purposes. The X.509 format may be used to support HTTPS
access to static AppCenter content (application listings) from the
AppCenter 55 on the device 56.
[0056] To aid the reader in understanding the structure of the
mobile device and how it communicates with other devices and host
systems, reference will now be made to FIGS. 7 through 10.
Referring first to FIG. 7, shown therein is a block diagram of an
example embodiment of a mobile device 100. The mobile device 100
includes a number of components such as a main processor 102 that
controls the overall operation of the mobile device 100.
Communication functions, including data and voice communications,
are performed through a communication subsystem 104. The
communication subsystem 104 receives messages from and sends
messages to a wireless network 200. In this example embodiment of
the mobile device 100, the communication subsystem 104 is
configured in accordance with the Global System for Mobile
Communication (GSM) and General Packet Radio Services (GPRS)
standards. The GSM/GPRS wireless network is used worldwide and it
is expected that these standards will be superseded eventually by
Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE) and Universal Mobile
Telecommunications Service (UMTS). New standards are still being
defined, but it is believed that they will have similarities to the
network behavior described herein, and it will also be understood
by persons skilled in the art that the example embodiments
described herein are intended to use any other suitable standards
that are developed in the future. The wireless link connecting the
communication subsystem 104 with the wireless network 200
represents one or more different Radio Frequency (RF) channels,
operating according to defined protocols specified for GSM/GPRS
communications. With newer network protocols, these channels are
capable of supporting both circuit switched voice communications
and packet switched data communications.
[0057] Although the wireless network 200 associated with mobile
device 100 is a GSM/GPRS wireless network in one example
implementation, other wireless networks may also be associated with
the mobile device 100 in variant implementations. The different
types of wireless networks that may be employed include, for
example, data-centric wireless networks, voice-centric wireless
networks, and dual-mode networks that can support both voice and
data communications over the same physical base stations. Combined
dual-mode networks include, but are not limited to, Code Division
Multiple Access (CDMA) or CDMA2000 networks, GSM/GPRS networks (as
mentioned above), and future third-generation (3G) networks like
EDGE and UMTS. Some other examples of data-centric networks include
WiFi 802.11, Mobitex.TM. and DataTAC.TM. network communication
systems. Examples of other voice-centric data networks include
Personal Communication Systems (PCS) networks like GSM and Time
Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems.
[0058] The main processor 102 also interacts with additional
subsystems such as a Random Access Memory (RAM) 106, a flash memory
108, a display 110, an auxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystem 112,
a data port 114, a keyboard 116, a speaker 118, a microphone 120,
short-range communications 122 and other device subsystems 124.
[0059] Some of the subsystems of the mobile device 100 perform
communication-related functions, whereas other subsystems may
provide "resident" or on-device functions. By way of example, the
display 110 and the keyboard 116 may be used for both
communication-related functions, such as entering a text message
for transmission over the network 200, and device-resident
functions such as a calculator or task list.
[0060] The mobile device 100 can send and receive communication
signals over the wireless network 200 after required network
registration or activation procedures have been completed. Network
access is associated with a subscriber or user of the mobile device
100. To identify a subscriber, the mobile device 100 requires a
SIM/RUIM card 126 (i.e. Subscriber Identity Module or a Removable
User Identity Module) to be inserted into a SIM/RUIM interface 128
in order to communicate with a network. The SIM card or RUIM 126 is
one type of a conventional "smart card" that can be used to
identify a subscriber of the mobile device 100 and to personalize
the mobile device 100, among other things. Without the SIM card
126, the mobile device 100 is not fully operational for
communication with the wireless network 200. By inserting the SIM
card/RUIM 126 into the SIM/RUIM interface 128, a subscriber can
access all subscribed services. Services may include: web browsing
and messaging such as e-mail, voice mail, Short Message Service
(SMS), and Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS). More advanced
services may include: point of sale, field service and sales force
automation. The SIM card/RUIM 126 includes a processor and memory
for storing information. Once the SIM card/RUIM 126 is inserted
into the SIM/RUIM interface 128, it is coupled to the main
processor 102. In order to identify the subscriber, the SIM
card/RUIM 126 can include some user parameters such as an
International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). An advantage of
using the SIM card/RUIM 126 is that a subscriber is not necessarily
bound by any single physical mobile device. The SIM card/RUIM 126
may store additional subscriber information for a mobile device as
well, including datebook (or calendar) information and recent call
information. Alternatively, user identification information can
also be programmed into the flash memory 108.
[0061] The mobile device 100 is a battery-powered device and
includes a battery interface 132 for receiving one or more
rechargeable batteries 130. In at least some example embodiments,
the battery 130 can be a smart battery with an embedded
microprocessor. The battery interface 132 is coupled to a regulator
(not shown), which assists the battery 130 in providing power V+ to
the mobile device 100. Although current technology makes use of a
battery, future technologies such as micro fuel cells may provide
the power to the mobile device 100.
[0062] The mobile device 100 also includes an operating system 134
and software components 136 to 146 which are described in more
detail below. The operating system 134 and the software components
136 to 146 that are executed by the main processor 102 are
typically stored in a persistent store such as the flash memory
108, which may alternatively be a read-only memory (ROM) or similar
storage element (not shown). Those skilled in the art will
appreciate that portions of the operating system 134 and the
software components 136 to 146, such as specific device
applications, or parts thereof, may be temporarily loaded into a
volatile store such as the RAM 106. Other software components can
also be included, as is well known to those skilled in the art.
[0063] The subset of software applications 136 that control basic
device operations, including data and voice communication
applications, will normally be installed on the mobile device 100
during its manufacture. Other software applications include a
message application 138 that can be any suitable software program
that allows a user of the mobile device 100 to send and receive
electronic messages. Various alternatives exist for the message
application 138 as is well known to those skilled in the art.
Messages that have been sent or received by the user are typically
stored in the flash memory 108 of the mobile device 100 or some
other suitable storage element in the mobile device 100. In at
least some example embodiments, some of the sent and received
messages may be stored remotely from the device 100 such as in a
data store of an associated host system that the mobile device 100
communicates with.
[0064] The software applications can further include a device state
module 140, a Personal Information Manager (PIM) 142, and other
suitable modules (not shown). The device state module 140 provides
persistence, i.e. the device state module 140 ensures that
important device data is stored in persistent memory, such as the
flash memory 108, so that the data is not lost when the mobile
device 100 is turned off or loses power.
[0065] The PIM 142 includes functionality for organizing and
managing data items of interest to the user, such as, but not
limited to, e-mail, contacts, calendar events, voice mails,
appointments, and task items. A PIM application has the ability to
send and receive data items via the wireless network 200. PIM data
items may be seamlessly integrated, synchronized, and updated via
the wireless network 200 with the mobile device subscriber's
corresponding data items stored and/or associated with a host
computer system. This functionality creates a mirrored host
computer on the mobile device 100 with respect to such items. This
can be particularly advantageous when the host computer system is
the mobile device subscriber's office computer system.
[0066] The mobile device 100 also includes a connect module 144,
and an IT policy module 146. The connect module 144 implements the
communication protocols that are required for the mobile device 100
to communicate with the wireless infrastructure and any host
system, such as an enterprise system, that the mobile device 100 is
authorized to interface with. Examples of a wireless infrastructure
and an enterprise system are given in FIGS. 9 and 10, which are
described in more detail below.
[0067] The connect module 144 includes a set of APIs that can be
integrated with the mobile device 100 to allow the mobile device
100 to use any number of services associated with the enterprise
system. The connect module 144 allows the mobile device 100 to
establish an end-to-end secure, authenticated communication pipe
with the host system. A subset of applications for which access is
provided by the connect module 144 can be used to pass IT policy
commands from the host system to the mobile device 100. This can be
done in a wireless or wired manner. These instructions can then be
passed to the IT policy module 146 to modify the configuration of
the device 100. Alternatively, in some cases, the IT policy update
can also be done over a wired connection.
[0068] The IT policy module 146 receives IT policy data that
encodes the IT policy. The IT policy module 146 then ensures that
the IT policy data is authenticated by the mobile device 100. The
IT policy data can then be stored in the flash memory 106 in its
native form. After the IT policy data is stored, a global
notification can be sent by the IT policy module 146 to all of the
applications residing on the mobile device 100. Applications for
which the IT policy may be applicable then respond by reading the
IT policy data to look for IT policy rules that are applicable.
[0069] The IT policy module 146 can include a parser (not shown),
which can be used by the applications to read the IT policy rules.
In some cases, another module or application can provide the
parser. Grouped IT policy rules, described in more detail below,
are retrieved as byte streams, which are then sent (recursively, in
a sense) into the parser to determine the values of each IT policy
rule defined within the grouped IT policy rule. In at least some
example embodiments, the IT policy module 146 can determine which
applications are affected by the IT policy data and send a
notification to only those applications. In either of these cases,
for applications that aren't running at the time of the
notification, the applications can call the parser or the IT policy
module 146 when they are executed to determine if there are any
relevant IT policy rules in the newly received IT policy data.
[0070] All applications that support rules in the IT Policy are
coded to know the type of data to expect. For example, the value
that is set for the "WEP User Name" IT policy rule is known to be a
string; therefore the value in the IT policy data that corresponds
to this rule is interpreted as a string. As another example, the
setting for the "Set Maximum Password Attempts" IT policy rule is
known to be an integer, and therefore the value in the IT policy
data that corresponds to this rule is interpreted as such.
[0071] After the IT policy rules have been applied to the
applicable applications or configuration files, the IT policy
module 146 sends an acknowledgement back to the host system to
indicate that the IT policy data was received and successfully
applied.
[0072] Other types of software applications can also be installed
on the mobile device 100. These software applications can be third
party applications, which are added after the manufacture of the
mobile device 100. Examples of third party applications include
games, calculators, utilities, etc.
[0073] The additional applications can be loaded onto the mobile
device 100 through at least one of the wireless network 200, the
auxiliary I/O subsystem 112, the data port 114, the short-range
communications subsystem 122, or any other suitable device
subsystem 124. This flexibility in application installation
increases the functionality of the mobile device 100 and may
provide enhanced on-device functions, communication-related
functions, or both. For example, secure communication applications
may enable electronic commerce functions and other such financial
transactions to be performed using the mobile device 100.
[0074] The data port 114 enables a subscriber to set preferences
through an external device or software application and extends the
capabilities of the mobile device 100 by providing for information
or software downloads to the mobile device 100 other than through a
wireless communication network. The alternate download path may,
for example, be used to load an encryption key onto the mobile
device 100 through a direct and thus reliable and trusted
connection to provide secure device communication.
[0075] The data port 114 can be any suitable port that enables data
communication between the mobile device 100 and another computing
device. The data port 114 can be a serial or a parallel port. In
some instances, the data port 114 can be a USB port that includes
data lines for data transfer and a supply line that can provide a
charging current to charge the battery 130 of the mobile device
100.
[0076] The short-range communications subsystem 122 provides for
communication between the mobile device 100 and different systems
or devices, without the use of the wireless network 200. For
example, the subsystem 122 may include an infrared device and
associated circuits and components for short-range communication.
Examples of short-range communication standards include standards
developed by the Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Bluetooth, and
the 802.11 family of standards developed by IEEE.
[0077] In use, a received signal such as a text message, an e-mail
message, or web page download will be processed by the
communication subsystem 104 and input to the main processor 102.
The main processor 102 will then process the received signal for
output to the display 110 or alternatively to the auxiliary I/O
subsystem 112. A subscriber may also compose data items, such as
e-mail messages, for example, using the keyboard 116 in conjunction
with the display 110 and possibly the auxiliary I/O subsystem 112.
The auxiliary subsystem 112 may include devices such as: a touch
screen, mouse, track ball, infrared fingerprint detector, or a
roller wheel with dynamic button pressing capability. The keyboard
116 is preferably an alphanumeric keyboard and/or telephone-type
keypad. However, other types of keyboards may also be used. A
composed item may be transmitted over the wireless network 200
through the communication subsystem 104.
[0078] For voice communications, the overall operation of the
mobile device 100 is substantially similar, except that the
received signals are output to the speaker 118, and signals for
transmission are generated by the microphone 120. Alternative voice
or audio I/O subsystems, such as a voice message recording
subsystem, can also be implemented on the mobile device 100.
Although voice or audio signal output is accomplished primarily
through the speaker 118, the display 110 can also be used to
provide additional information such as the identity of a calling
party, duration of a voice call, or other voice call related
information.
[0079] Referring now to FIG. 8, an example block diagram of the
communication subsystem component 104 is shown. The communication
subsystem 104 includes a receiver 150, a transmitter 152, as well
as associated components such as one or more embedded or internal
antenna elements 154 and 156, Local Oscillators (LOs) 158, and a
processing module such as a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 160. The
particular design of the communication subsystem 104 is dependent
upon the communication network 200 with which the mobile device 100
is intended to operate. Thus, it should be understood that the
design illustrated in FIG. 8 serves only as one example.
[0080] Signals received by the antenna 154 through the wireless
network 200 are input to the receiver 150, which may perform such
common receiver functions as signal amplification, frequency down
conversion, filtering, channel selection, and analog-to-digital
(A/D) conversion. A/D conversion of a received signal allows more
complex communication functions such as demodulation and decoding
to be performed in the DSP 160. In a similar manner, signals to be
transmitted are processed, including modulation and encoding, by
the DSP 160. These DSP-processed signals are input to the
transmitter 152 for digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion, frequency
up conversion, filtering, amplification and transmission over the
wireless network 200 via the antenna 156. The DSP 160 not only
processes communication signals, but also provides for receiver and
transmitter control. For example, the gains applied to
communication signals in the receiver 150 and the transmitter 152
may be adaptively controlled through automatic gain control
algorithms implemented in the DSP 160.
[0081] The wireless link between the mobile device 100 and the
wireless network 200 can contain one or more different channels,
typically different RF channels, and associated protocols used
between the mobile device 100 and the wireless network 200. An RF
channel is a limited resource that must be conserved, typically due
to limits in overall bandwidth and limited battery power of the
mobile device 100.
[0082] When the mobile device 100 is fully operational, the
transmitter 152 is typically keyed or turned on only when it is
transmitting to the wireless network 200 and is otherwise turned
off to conserve resources. Similarly, the receiver 150 is
periodically turned off to conserve power until it is needed to
receive signals or information (if at all) during designated time
periods.
[0083] Referring now to FIG. 9, a block diagram of an example
implementation of a node 202 of the wireless network 200 is shown.
In practice, the wireless network 200 comprises one or more nodes
202. In conjunction with the connect module 144, the mobile device
100 can communicate with the node 202 within the wireless network
200. In the example implementation of FIG. 9, the node 202 is
configured in accordance with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
and Global Systems for Mobile (GSM) technologies. The node 202
includes a base station controller (BSC) 204 with an associated
tower station 206, a Packet Control Unit (PCU) 208 added for GPRS
support in GSM, a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) 210, a Home
Location Register (HLR) 212, a Visitor Location Registry (VLR) 214,
a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) 216, a Gateway GPRS Support Node
(GGSN) 218, and a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) 220.
This list of components is not meant to be an exhaustive list of
the components of every node 202 within a GSM/GPRS network, but
rather a list of components that are commonly used in
communications through the network 200.
[0084] In a GSM network, the MSC 210 is coupled to the BSC 204 and
to a landline network, such as a Public Switched Telephone Network
(PSTN) 222 to satisfy circuit switched requirements. The connection
through the PCU 208, the SGSN 216 and the GGSN 218 to a public or
private network (Internet) 224 (also referred to herein generally
as a shared network infrastructure) represents the data path for
GPRS capable mobile devices. In a GSM network extended with GPRS
capabilities, the BSC 204 also contains the Packet Control Unit
(PCU) 208 that connects to the SGSN 216 to control segmentation,
radio channel allocation and to satisfy packet switched
requirements. To track the location of the mobile device 100 and
availability for both circuit switched and packet switched
management, the HLR 212 is shared between the MSC 210 and the SGSN
216. Access to the VLR 214 is controlled by the MSC 210.
[0085] The station 206 is a fixed transceiver station and together
with the BSC 204 form fixed transceiver equipment. The fixed
transceiver equipment provides wireless network coverage for a
particular coverage area commonly referred to as a "cell". The
fixed transceiver equipment transmits communication signals to and
receives communication signals from mobile devices within its cell
via the station 206. The fixed transceiver equipment normally
performs such functions as modulation and possibly encoding and/or
encryption of signals to be transmitted to the mobile device 100 in
accordance with particular, usually predetermined, communication
protocols and parameters, under control of its controller. The
fixed transceiver equipment similarly demodulates and possibly
decodes and decrypts, if necessary, any communication signals
received from the mobile device 100 within its cell. Communication
protocols and parameters may vary between different nodes. For
example, one node may employ a different modulation scheme and
operate at different frequencies than other nodes.
[0086] For all mobile devices 100 registered with a specific
network, permanent configuration data such as a user profile is
stored in the HLR 212. The HLR 212 also contains location
information for each registered mobile device and can be queried to
determine the current location of a mobile device. The MSC 210 is
responsible for a group of location areas and stores the data of
the mobile devices currently in its area of responsibility in the
VLR 214. Further, the VLR 214 also contains information on mobile
devices that are visiting other networks. The information in the
VLR 214 includes part of the permanent mobile device data
transmitted from the HLR 212 to the VLR 214 for faster access. By
moving additional information from a remote HLR 212 node to the VLR
214, the amount of traffic between these nodes can be reduced so
that voice and data services can be provided with faster response
times and at the same time requiring less use of computing
resources.
[0087] The SGSN 216 and the GGSN 218 are elements added for GPRS
support; namely packet switched data support, within GSM. The SGSN
216 and the MSC 210 have similar responsibilities within the
wireless network 200 by keeping track of the location of each
mobile device 100. The SGSN 216 also performs security functions
and access control for data traffic on the wireless network 200.
The GGSN 218 provides internetworking connections with external
packet switched networks and connects to one or more SGSN's 216 via
an Internet Protocol (IP) backbone network operated within the
network 200. During normal operations, a given mobile device 100
must perform a "GPRS Attach" to acquire an IP address and to access
data services. This requirement is not present in circuit switched
voice channels as Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
addresses are used for routing incoming and outgoing calls.
Currently, all GPRS capable networks use private, dynamically
assigned IP addresses, thus requiring the DHCP server 220 connected
to the GGSN 218. There are many mechanisms for dynamic IP
assignment, including using a combination of a Remote
Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) server and a DHCP
server. Once the GPRS Attach is complete, a logical connection is
established from a mobile device 100, through the PCU 208, and the
SGSN 216 to an Access Point Node (APN) within the GGSN 218. The APN
represents a logical end of an IP tunnel that can either access
direct Internet compatible services or private network connections.
The APN also represents a security mechanism for the network 200,
insofar as each mobile device 100 must be assigned to one or more
APNs and mobile devices 100 cannot exchange data without first
performing a GPRS Attach to an APN that it has been authorized to
use. The APN may be considered to be similar to an Internet domain
name such as "myconnection.wireless.com".
[0088] Once the GPRS Attach operation is complete, a tunnel is
created and all traffic is exchanged within standard IP packets
using any protocol that can be supported in IP packets. This
includes tunneling methods such as IP over IP as in the case with
some IPSecurity (IPsec) connections used with Virtual Private
Networks (VPN). These tunnels are also referred to as Packet Data
Protocol (PDP) Contexts and there are a limited number of these
available in the network 200. To maximize use of the PDP Contexts,
the network 200 will run an idle timer for each PDP Context to
determine if there is a lack of activity. When a mobile device 100
is not using its PDP Context, the PDP Context can be de-allocated
and the IP address returned to the IP address pool managed by the
DHCP server 220.
[0089] Referring now to FIG. 10, shown therein is a block diagram
illustrating components of an example configuration of a host
system 250 that the mobile device 100 can communicate with in
conjunction with the connect module 144. The host system 250 will
typically be a corporate enterprise or other local area network
(LAN), but may also be a home office computer or some other private
system, for example, in variant implementations. In this example
shown in FIG. 10, the host system 250 is depicted as a LAN of an
organization to which a user of the mobile device 100 belongs.
Typically, a plurality of mobile devices can communicate wirelessly
with the host system 250 through one or more nodes 202 of the
wireless network 200.
[0090] The host system 250 comprises a number of network components
connected to each other by a network 260. For instance, a user's
desktop computer 262a with an accompanying cradle 264 for the
user's mobile device 100 is situated on a LAN connection. The
cradle 264 for the mobile device 100 can be coupled to the computer
262a by a serial or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection, for
example. Other user computers 262b-262n are also situated on the
network 260, and each may or may not be equipped with an
accompanying cradle 264. The cradle 264 facilitates the loading of
information (e.g. PIM data, private symmetric encryption keys to
facilitate secure communications) from the user computer 262a to
the mobile device 100, and may be particularly useful for bulk
information updates often performed in initializing the mobile
device 100 for use. The information downloaded to the mobile device
100 may include certificates used in the exchange of messages.
[0091] It will be understood by persons skilled in the art that the
user computers 262a-262n will typically also be connected to other
peripheral devices, such as printers, etc. which are not explicitly
shown in FIG. 10. Furthermore, only a subset of network components
of the host system 250 are shown in FIG. 10 for ease of exposition,
and it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that the
host system 250 will comprise additional components that are not
explicitly shown in FIG. 10 for this example configuration. More
generally, the host system 250 may represent a smaller part of a
larger network (not shown) of the organization, and may comprise
different components and/or be arranged in different topologies
than that shown in the example embodiment of FIG. 10.
[0092] To facilitate the operation of the mobile device 100 and the
wireless communication of messages and message-related data between
the mobile device 100 and components of the host system 250, a
number of wireless communication support components 270 can be
provided. In some implementations, the wireless communication
support components 270 can include a message management server 272,
a mobile data server 274, a contact server 276, and a device
manager module 278. The device manager module 278 includes an IT
Policy editor 280 and an IT user property editor 282, as well as
other software components for allowing an IT administrator to
configure the mobile devices 100. In an alternative example
embodiment, there may be one editor that provides the functionality
of both the IT policy editor 280 and the IT user property editor
282. The support components 270 also include a data store 284, and
an IT policy server 286. The IT policy server 286 includes a
processor 288, a network interface 290 and a memory unit 292. The
processor 288 controls the operation of the IT policy server 286
and executes functions related to the standardized IT policy as
described below. The network interface 290 allows the IT policy
server 286 to communicate with the various components of the host
system 250 and the mobile devices 100. The memory unit 292 can
store functions used in implementing the IT policy as well as
related data. Those skilled in the art know how to implement these
various components. Other components may also be included as is
well known to those skilled in the art. Further, in some
implementations, the data store 284 can be part of any one of the
servers.
[0093] In this example embodiment, the mobile device 100
communicates with the host system 250 through node 202 of the
wireless network 200 and a shared network infrastructure 224 such
as a service provider network or the public Internet. Access to the
host system 250 may be provided through one or more routers (not
shown), and computing devices of the host system 250 may operate
from behind a firewall or proxy server 266. The proxy server 266
provides a secure node and a wireless internet gateway for the host
system 250. The proxy server 266 intelligently routes data to the
correct destination server within the host system 250.
[0094] In some implementations, the host system 250 can include a
wireless VPN router (not shown) to facilitate data exchange between
the host system 250 and the mobile device 100. The wireless VPN
router allows a VPN connection to be established directly through a
specific wireless network to the mobile device 100. The wireless
VPN router can be used with the Internet Protocol (IP) Version 6
(IPV6) and IP-based wireless networks. This protocol can provide
enough IP addresses so that each mobile device has a dedicated IP
address, making it possible to push information to a mobile device
at any time. An advantage of using a wireless VPN router is that it
can be an off-the-shelf VPN component, and does not require a
separate wireless gateway and separate wireless infrastructure. A
VPN connection can preferably be a Transmission Control Protocol
(TCP)/IP or User Datagram Protocol (UDP)/IP connection for
delivering the messages directly to the mobile device 100 in this
alternative implementation.
[0095] Messages intended for a user of the mobile device 100 are
initially received by a message server 268 of the host system 250.
Such messages may originate from any number of sources. For
instance, a message may have been sent by a sender from the
computer 262b within the host system 250, from a different mobile
device (not shown) connected to the wireless network 200 or a
different wireless network, or from a different computing device,
or other device capable of sending messages, via the shared network
infrastructure 224, possibly through an application service
provider (ASP) or Internet service provider (ISP), for example.
[0096] The message server 268 typically acts as the primary
interface for the exchange of messages, particularly e-mail
messages, within the organization and over the shared network
infrastructure 224. Each user in the organization that has been set
up to send and receive messages is typically associated with a user
account managed by the message server 268. Some example
implementations of the message server 268 include a Microsoft
Exchange.TM. server, a Lotus Domino.TM. server, a Novell
Groupwise.TM. server, or another suitable mail server installed in
a corporate environment. In some implementations, the host system
250 may comprise multiple message servers 268. The message server
268 may also be adapted to provide additional functions beyond
message management, including the management of data associated
with calendars and task lists, for example.
[0097] When messages are received by the message server 268, they
are typically stored in a data store associated with the message
server 268. In at least some example embodiments, the data store
may be a separate hardware unit, such as data store 284, that the
message server 268 communicates with. Messages can be subsequently
retrieved and delivered to users by accessing the message server
268. For instance, an e-mail client application operating on a
user's computer 262a may request the e-mail messages associated
with that user's account stored on the data store associated with
the message server 268. These messages are then retrieved from the
data store and stored locally on the computer 262a. The data store
associated with the message server 268 can store copies of each
message that is locally stored on the mobile device 100.
Alternatively, the data store associated with the message server
268 can store all of the messages for the user of the mobile device
100 and only a smaller number of messages can be stored on the
mobile device 100 to conserve memory. For instance, the most recent
messages (i.e. those received in the past two to three months for
example) can be stored on the mobile device 100.
[0098] When operating the mobile device 100, the user may wish to
have e-mail messages retrieved for delivery to the mobile device
100. The message application 138 operating on the mobile device 100
may also request messages associated with the user's account from
the message server 268. The message application 138 may be
configured (either by the user or by an administrator, possibly in
accordance with an organization's information technology (IT)
policy) to make this request at the direction of the user, at some
pre-defined time interval, or upon the occurrence of some
pre-defined event. In some implementations, the mobile device 100
is assigned its own e-mail address, and messages addressed
specifically to the mobile device 100 are automatically redirected
to the mobile device 100 as they are received by the message server
268.
[0099] The message management server 272 can be used to
specifically provide support for the management of messages, such
as e-mail messages, that are to be handled by mobile devices.
Generally, while messages are still stored on the message server
268, the message management server 272 can be used to control when,
if, and how messages are sent to the mobile device 100. The message
management server 272 also facilitates the handling of messages
composed on the mobile device 100, which are sent to the message
server 268 for subsequent delivery.
[0100] For example, the message management server 272 may monitor
the user's "mailbox" (e.g. the message store associated with the
user's account on the message server 268) for new e-mail messages,
and apply user-definable filters to new messages to determine if
and how the messages are relayed to the user's mobile device 100.
The message management server 272 may also compress and encrypt new
messages (e.g. using an encryption technique such as Data
Encryption Standard (DES), Triple DES, or Advanced Encryption
Standard (AES)) and push them to the mobile device 100 via the
shared network infrastructure 224 and the wireless network 200. The
message management server 272 may also receive messages composed on
the mobile device 100 (e.g. encrypted using Triple DES), decrypt
and decompress the composed messages, re-format the composed
messages if desired so that they will appear to have originated
from the user's computer 262a, and re-route the composed messages
to the message server 268 for delivery.
[0101] Certain properties or restrictions associated with messages
that are to be sent from and/or received by the mobile device 100
can be defined (e.g. by an administrator in accordance with IT
policy) and enforced by the message management server 272. These
may include whether the mobile device 100 may receive encrypted
and/or signed messages, minimum encryption key sizes, whether
outgoing messages must be encrypted and/or signed, and whether
copies of all secure messages sent from the mobile device 100 are
to be sent to a pre-defined copy address, for example.
[0102] The message management server 272 may also be adapted to
provide other control functions, such as only pushing certain
message information or pre-defined portions (e.g. "blocks") of a
message stored on the message server 268 to the mobile device 100.
For example, in some cases, when a message is initially retrieved
by the mobile device 100 from the message server 268, the message
management server 272 may push only the first part of a message to
the mobile device 100, with the part being of a pre-defined size
(e.g. 2 KB). The user can then request that more of the message be
delivered in similar-sized blocks by the message management server
272 to the mobile device 100, possibly up to a maximum pre-defined
message size. Accordingly, the message management server 272
facilitates better control over the type of data and the amount of
data that is communicated to the mobile device 100, and can help to
minimize potential waste of bandwidth or other resources.
[0103] The mobile data server 274 encompasses any other server that
stores information that is relevant to the corporation. The mobile
data server 274 may include, but is not limited to, databases,
online data document repositories, customer relationship management
(CRM) systems, or enterprise resource planning (ERP)
applications.
[0104] The contact server 276 can provide information for a list of
contacts for the user in a similar fashion as the address book on
the mobile device 100. Accordingly, for a given contact, the
contact server 276 can include the name, phone number, work address
and e-mail address of the contact, among other information. The
contact server 276 can also provide a global address list that
contains the contact information for all of the contacts associated
with the host system 250.
[0105] It will be understood by persons skilled in the art that the
message management server 272, the mobile data server 274, the
contact server 276, the device manager module 278, the data store
284 and the IT policy server 286 do not need to be implemented on
separate physical servers within the host system 250. For example,
some or all of the functions associated with the message management
server 272 may be integrated with the message server 268, or some
other server in the host system 250. Alternatively, the host system
250 may comprise multiple message management servers 272,
particularly in variant implementations where a large number of
mobile devices need to be supported.
[0106] Alternatively, in some example embodiments, the IT policy
server 286 can provide the IT policy editor 280, the IT user
property editor 282 and the data store 284. In some cases, the IT
policy server 286 can also provide the device manager module 278.
The processor 288 of the IT policy server 286 can be used to
perform the various steps of a method for providing IT policy data
that is customizable on a per-user basis. The processor 288 can
execute the editors 280 and 282. In some cases, the functionality
of the editors 280 and 282 can be provided by a single editor. In
some cases, the memory unit 292 can provide the data store 284.
[0107] The device manager module 278 provides an IT administrator
with a graphical user interface with which the IT administrator
interacts to configure various settings for the mobile devices 100.
As mentioned, the IT administrator can use IT policy rules to
define behaviors of certain applications on the mobile device 100
that are permitted such as phone, web browser or Instant Messenger
use. The IT policy rules can also be used to set specific values
for configuration settings that an organization requires on the
mobile devices 100 such as auto signature text, WLAN/VoIP/VPN
configuration, security requirements (e.g. encryption algorithms,
password rules, etc.), specifying themes or applications that are
allowed to run on the mobile device 100, and the like.
Exemplary Application Listing
TABLE-US-00002
[0108]<ac:updateInterval>7</ac:updateInterval> -
listing update interval in days.
<ac:version>1.0.0.26</ac:version> - application
version. <ac:vendor>Research In Motion Ltd.</ac:vendor>
- application vendor <ac:size>69000</ac:size> -
application size
<ac:iconURL>/icons/1212644020799icon.png</ac:iconURL> -
application ICON URL
<ac:imageURL>/images/1212418909630Spb_Wallet_2000.jpg</ac:imageUR-
L> - application image URL
<ac:infoURL>http://www.rim.com/info</ac:infoURL> -
optional, application info URL
<ac:mandatory>true</ac:mandatory > - optional,
mandatory application <ac:wap>true</ac:wap> - optional,
download through WAP protocol
<ac:rimvalueAddedApp>true</ac:rimvalueAddedApp > -
optional, RIM value added application <?xml version="1.0"
encoding="UTF-8"?> <feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
xmlns:taxo="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/taxonomy/"
xmlns:ac="http://www.rim.net/appcenter/directory/1.0"
xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#">
<title>Application Listing for Research In Motion Ltd.
BlackBerry 9000 devices with OS 4.6.0</title> <link
rel="alternate" href="http://www.blackberry.com" />
<subtitle>This is the directory of applications available for
BlackBerry 9000 devices from Research In Motion Ltd.. Supporting OS
version: 4.6.0</subtitle>
<ac:updateInterval>7</ac:updateInterval> <entry>
<title>Wallet</title> <link rel="alternate"
href="http://mds03-vmyyz/rimapp/wallet/4.2.1/wallet.jad" />
<author> <name /> </author> <summary
type="TEXT">Wallet</summary>
<ac:version>1.0.0.26</ac:version>
<ac:vendor>Research In Motion Ltd.</ac:vendor>
<ac:size>69000</ac:size>
<ac:iconURL>/icons/1212644020799icon.png</ac:iconURL>
<ac:imageURL>/images/1212418909630Spb_Wallet_2000.jpg</ac:image-
URL> <ac:wap>true</ac:wap> </entry>
<entry> <title>Ecommerce Content Optimization
Engine</title> <link rel="alternate"
href="http://mds03-vmyyz/rimapp/ecoe/4.2.1/ecoe.jad" />
<author> <name /> </author> <summary
type="TEXT" /> <ac:version>1.0.0.27</ac:version>
<ac:vendor>Research In Motion Ltd.</ac:vendor>
<ac:size>64000</ac:size>
<ac:iconURL>/icons/1212417757603icon.png</ac:iconURL>
<ac:imageURL>/images/1212417700411rim-logo.jpg</ac:imageURL>
<ac:rimvalueAddedApp>true</ac:rimvalueAddedApp>
</entry> <entry> <title>Facebook</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://mds03-
vmyyz/rimapp/facebook/For_4.6.0/net_rim_bb_facebook.jad" />
<author> <name /> </author> <summary
type="TEXT">Facebook</summary>
<ac:version>1.2.9</ac:version>
<ac:vendor>Research In Motion Limited</ac:vendor>
<ac:size>244000</ac:size>
<ac:iconURL>/icons/1212418001460icon.png</ac:iconURL>
<ac:imageURL>/images/1212418001460facebook-icon.gif</ac:imageURL-
> </entry> <entry> <title>Windows Live
Messenger</title> <link rel="alternate"
href="http://mds03- vmyyz/rimapp/msn/For_4.6.0/msn_460_en.jad"
/> <author> <name /> </author> <summary
type="TEXT">Windows Live Messenger</summary>
<ac:version>2.1.18</ac:version>
<ac:vendor>Research In Motion Limited</ac:vendor>
<ac:size>343000</ac:size>
<ac:iconURL>/icons/1212418571991icon.png</ac:iconURL>
<ac:imageURL>/images/1212418571991msn_messenger_logo.jpg</ac:im-
ageURL> <ac:mandatory>true</ac:mandatory>
</entry> <entry> <title>BlackBerry Client for
Lotus Connections</title> <link rel="alternate"
href="http://mds03-
vmyyz/rimapp/connections/For_4.2.1/Connections.jad" />
<author> <name /> </author> <summary
type="TEXT">BlackBerry Client for Lotus
Connections</summary>
<ac:version>1.0.0</ac:version>
<ac:vendor>Research In Motion Limited</ac:vendor>
<ac:size>73000</ac:size>
<ac:iconURL>/icons/1212417492293icon.png</ac:iconURL>
<ac:imageURL>/images/1212417492152connections-logo108.png</ac:im-
ageURL> </entry> <entry> <title>Yahoo!
Messenger</title> <link rel="alternate"
href="http://mds03- vmyyz/rimapp/yahoo/For_4.6.0/yahoo_460_en.jad"
/> <author> <name /> </author> <summary
type="TEXT">Yahoo! Messenger</summary>
<ac:version>2.1.18</ac:version>
<ac:vendor>Research In Motion</ac:vendor>
<ac:size>359000</ac:size>
<ac:iconURL>/icons/1212438030751icon.png</ac:iconURL>
<ac:imageURL>/images/1212438030720t_Yahoo_Messenger_.jpg</ac:ima-
geURL> </entry> <entry> <title>AOL Instant
Messenger</title> <link rel="alternate"
href="http://mds03-vmyyz/rimapp/aim/For_4.6.0/aim_460_en.jad" />
<author> <name /> </author> <summary
type="TEXT">AOL Instant Messenger</summary>
<ac:version>2.1.18</ac:version>
<ac:vendor>Research In Motion Limited</ac:vendor>
<ac:size>279000</ac:size>
<ac:iconURL>/icons/1212416553842icon.png</ac:iconURL>
<ac:imageURL>/images/1212416604719549.JPG</ac:imageURL>
</entry> <entry> <title>Word Press</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://mds03-
vmyyz/rimapp/wordpress/For_4.2.0/net_rim_bb_wordpress.jad" />
<author> <name /> </author> <summary
type="TEXT">Word Press</summary>
<ac:version>1.0.3</ac:version>
<ac:vendor>Research In Motion Limited</ac:vendor>
<ac:size>58000</ac:size>
<ac:iconURL>/icons/1212419103075icon.png</ac:iconURL>
<ac:imageURL>/images/1212419102997wordpress-logo-cristal.jpg</ac-
:imageURL> </entry> <entry>
<title>Picasa</title> <link rel="alternate"
href="http://mds03-
vmyyz/rimapp/picasa/For_4.2.0/net_rim_bb_picasa.jad" />
<author> <name /> </author> <summary
type="TEXT">Picasa</summary>
<ac:version>1.0.0</ac:version>
<ac:vendor>Research In Motion Limited</ac:vendor>
<ac:size>0</ac:size>
<ac:iconURL>/icons/1212418766281icon.png</ac:iconURL>
<ac:imageURL>/images/1212418766281icon.png</ac:imageURL>
</entry> <entry> <title>ICQ</title>
<link rel="alternate"
href="http://mds03-vmyyz/rimapp/icq/For_4.2.0/icq_420_en.jad" />
<author> <name /> </author> <summary
type="TEXT">ICQ</summary>
<ac:version>2.1.18</ac:version>
<ac:vendor>Research In Motion Limited</ac:vendor>
<ac:size>284000</ac:size>
<ac:iconURL>/icons/1212418418541icon.png</ac:iconURL>
<ac:imageURL>/images/1212418418541icq_logo.gif</ac:imageURL>
</entry> <entry> <title>Google Talk</title>
<link rel="alternate" href="http://mds03-
vmyyz/rimapp/google/For_4.6.0/google_460_en.jad" />
<author> <name /> </author> <summary
type="TEXT">Google Talk</summary>
<ac:version>2.1.18</ac:version>
<ac:vendor>Research In Motion Limited</ac:vendor>
<ac:size>29900</ac:size>
<ac:iconURL>/icons/1212418216007icon.png</ac:iconURL>
<ac:imageURL>/images/1212418215866Google_Talk_(logo).jpg</ac:ima-
geURL> </entry> </feed>
[0109] Many modifications and other example embodiments will come
to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the
teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the
associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention
is not to be limited to the specific example embodiments disclosed,
and that modifications and example embodiments are intended to be
included.
* * * * *
References